Cousel
AH! what advice can I receive! No, satisfy me first; For who would physick-potions give To one that dies with thirst? A little puff of breath, we find, Small fires can quench and kill; But, when they’re great, the adverse wind Does make them greater still. Now whilst you speak, it moves me much, […]
Constantias Song
Time fly with greater speed away, Add feathers to thy wings, Till thy haste in flying brings That wished-for and expected Day. Comfort’s Son we then shall see, Though at first it darkened be With dangers yet, those clouds but gone, Our Day will put his lustre on. Then though Death’s sad night appear, […]
Constantia039s Song
Time fly with greater speed away, Add feathers to thy wings, Till thy haste in flying brings That wished-for and expected Day. Comfort’s Son we then shall see, Though at first it darkened be With dangers yet, those clouds but gone, Our Day will put his lustre on. Then though Death’s sad night appear, […]
Concealment
No; to what purpose should I speak? No, wretched heart! swell till you break. She cannot love me if she would; And, to say truth, ’twere pity that she should. No; to the grave thy sorrows bear; As silent as they will be there: Since that lov’d hand this mortal wound does give, So […]
Chronicle
A BALLAD. MARGARITA first possest, If I remember well, my brest, Margarita first of all; But when awhile the wanton maid With my restless heart had play’d, Martha took the flying ball. Martha soon did it resign To the beauteous Catharine. Beauteous Catharine gave place (Though loth and angry she to part With the […]
Change
LOVE in her sunny eyes does basking play; Love walks the pleasant mazes of her hair; Love does on both her lips for ever stray And sows and reaps a thousand kisses there. In all her outward parts Love’s always seen; But, oh, He never went within. Within Love’s foes, his greatest foes abide, […]
Beauty
LIBERAL Nature did dispence To all things Arms for their defence; And some she arms with sin’ewy force, And some with swiftness in the course; Some with hard Hoofs, or forked claws, And some with Horns, or tusked jaws. And some with Scales, and some with Wings, And some with Teeth, and some with […]
Bathing River
The fish around her crowded, as they do To the false light that treacherous fisher shew, And all with as much ease might taken be, As she at first took me; For ne’er did light so clear Among the waves appear, Though every night the sun himself set there. Why to mute fish shouldst […]
Bathing In The River
The fish around her crowded, as they do To the false light that treacherous fisher shew, And all with as much ease might taken be, As she at first took me; For ne’er did light so clear Among the waves appear, Though every night the sun himself set there. Why to mute fish shouldst […]
Answer Copy Verses Sent Me Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Anacreontics The Swallow
FOOLISH prater, what dost thou So early at my window do? Cruel bird, thou’st ta’en away A dream out of my arms to-day; A dream that ne’er must equall’d be By all that waking eyes may see. Thou this damage to repair Nothing half so sweet and fair, Nothing half so good, canst bring, […]
Anacreontics The Epicure
UNDERNEATH this myrtle shade, On flowerly beds supinely laid, With odorous oils my head o’erflowing, And around it roses growing, What should I do but drink away The heat and troubles of the day? In this more than kingly state Love himself on me shall wait. Fill to me, Love! nay, fill it up! […]
Anacreontics Drinking
THE thirsty earth soaks up the rain, And drinks and gapes for drink again; The plants suck in the earth, and are With constant drinking fresh and fair; The sea itself (which one would think Should have but little need of drink) Drinks twice ten thousand rivers up, So fill’d that they o’erflow the […]
An Answer To A Copy Of Verses Sent Me To Jersey
As to a northern people (whom the sun Uses just as the Romish church has done Her prophane laity, and does assign Bread only both to serve for bread and wine) A rich Canary fleet welcome arrives; Such comfort to us here your letter gives, Fraught with brisk racy verses; in which we The […]
Against Hope
HOPE, whose weak Being ruin’d is, Alike if it succeed, and if it miss ; Whom Good or Ill does equally confound, And both the Horns of Fates Dilemma wound. Vain shadow! which dost vanish quite, Both at full Noon, and perfect Night ! The Stars have not a possibility Of blessing Thee ; […]
Against Fruition
No; thou’rt a fool, I’ll swear, if e’er thou grant; Much of my veneration thou must want, When once thy kindness puts my ignorance out, For a learn’d age is always least devout. Keep still thy distance; for at once to me Goddess and woman too thou canst not be; Thou’rt queen of all […]
Wind on the Hill by A. A. Milne
Wind on the Hill by A. A. Milne No one can tell me, Nobody knows, Where the wind comes from, Where the wind goes. It’s flying from somewhere As fast as it can, I couldn’t keep up with it, Not if I ran. But if I stopped holding The string of my kite, It would […]
Us Two by AA Milne
Us Two by A. A. Milne Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh, There’s always Pooh and Me. Whatever I do, he wants to do, “Where are you going today?” says Pooh: “Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too. Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he. “Let’s go together,” says Pooh. “What’s twice eleven?” I […]
twinkletoes.html
Twinkletoes by A. A. Milne When the sun Shines through the leaves of the apple-tree, When the sun Makes shadows of the leaves of the apple-tree, Then I pass On the grass From one leaf to another, From one leaf to its brother, Tip-toe, tip-toe! Here I go! Read all poems by A.A. Milne AA […]
The Morning Walk
The Morning Walk by A. A. Milne When Anne and I go out a walk, We hold each other’s hand and talk Of all the things we mean to do When Anne and I are forty-two. And when we’ve thought about a thing, Like bowling hoops or bicycling, Or falling down on Anne’s balloon, […]
the_kings_breakfast.html
The King’s Breakfast by A. A. Milne The King’s Breakfast The King asked The Queen, and The Queen asked The Dairymaid: “Could we have some butter for The Royal slice of bread?” The Queen asked the Dairymaid, The Dairymaid Said, “Certainly, I’ll go and tell the cow Now Before she goes to bed.” The Dairymaid […]
the_dormouse_and_the_doctor.html
The Dormouse and the Doctor by A. A. Milne There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red), And all the day long he’d a wonderful view Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue). A Doctor came hurrying round, and he said: “Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you […]
the_christening.html
The Christening by A. A. Milne What shall I call My dear little dormouse? His eyes are small, But his tail is e-nor-mouse. I sometimes call him Terrible John, ‘Cos his tail goes on – And on – And on. And I sometimes call him Terrible Jack, ‘Cos his tail goes on to the end […]
Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear by A.A. Milne A bear, however hard he tries, Grows tubby without exercise. Our Teddy Bear is short and fat, Which is not to be wondered at; He gets what exercise he can By falling off the ottoman, But generally seems to lack The energy to clamber back. Now tubbiness is just […]
rice_pudding.html
Rice Pudding by A. A. Milne What is the matter with Mary Jane? She’s crying with all her might and main, And she won’t eat her dinner; rice pudding again – What is the matter with Mary Jane? What is the matter with Mary Jane? I’ve promised her dolls and a daisy-chain, And a book […]
politeness.html
Politeness by A. A. Milne If people ask me, I always tell them: “Quite well, thank you, I’m very glad to say.” If people ask me, I always answer, “Quite well, thank you, how are you to-day?” I always answer, I always tell them, If they ask me Politely….. BUT SOMETIMES I wish That they […]
Missing
Missing by A. A. Milne Has anybody seen my mouse? I opened his box for half a minute, Just to make sure he was really in it, And while I was looking, he jumped outside! I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried…. I think he’s somewhere about the house. Has anyone seen my […]
market_square.html
Market Square by A. A. Milne I had a penny, A bright new penny, I took my penny To the market square. I wanted a rabbit, A little brown rabbit, And I looked for a rabbit ‘Most everywhere. For I went to the stall where they sold sweet lavender (“Only a penny for a bunch […]
lines_and_squares.html
Lines and Squares by A. A. Milne Whenever I walk in a London street, I’m ever so careful to watch my feet; And I keep in the squares, And the masses of bears, Who wait at the corners all ready to eat The sillies who tread on the lines of the street Go back to […]
if_i_were_king.html
If I Were King by A. A. Milne I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything. If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain. If only I were King of France, I wouldn’t brush my hair for aunts. I think, if I were […]
hoppity.html
Hoppity by A. A. Milne Christopher Robin goes Hoppity, hoppity, Hoppity, hoppity, hop. Whenever I tell him Politely to stop it, he Says he can’t possibly stop. If he stopped hopping, He couldn’t go anywhere, Poor little Christopher Couldn’t go anywhere… That’s why he always goes Hoppity, hoppity, Hoppity, Hoppity, Hop. Read all poems by […]
happiness.html
Happiness by A. A. Milne John had Great Big Waterproof Boots on; John had a Great Big Waterproof Hat; John had a Great Big Waterproof Mackintosh — And that (Said John) Is That. Read all poems by A.A. Milne AA Milne Website English poetry Subscribe The Poetry Library Talking Writing Monster A free-for-all writing anythying […]
At the Zoo poem – A. A. Milne poem
At the Zoo by A. A. Milne There are lions and roaring tigers, and enormous camels and things, There are biffalo-buffalo-bisons, and a great big bear with wings. There’s a sort of a tiny potamus, and a tiny nosserus too – But I gave buns to the elephant when I went down to the Zoo! […]
I Remember, I Remember by Philip Larkin
Coming up England by a different line For once, early in the cold new year, We stopped, and, watching men with number plates Sprint down the platform to familiar gates, ‘Why, Coventry!’ I exclaimed. ‘I was born here.’ I leant far out, and squinnied for a sign That this was still the town that had […]
How Distant by Philip Larkin
How distant, the departure of young men Down valleys, or watching The green shore past the salt-white cordage Rising and falling. Cattlemen, or carpenters, or keen Simply to get away From married villages before morning, Melodeons play On tiny decks past fraying cliffs of water Or late at night Sweet under the differently-swung stars, When […]
Home Is So Sad by Philip Larkin
Home is so sad. It stays as it was left, Shaped in the comfort of the last to go As if to win them back. Instead, bereft Of anyone to please, it withers so, Having no heart to put aside the theft. And turn again to what it started as, A joyous shot at how […]
Homage To A Government by Philip Larkin
Next year we are to bring all the soldiers home For lack of money, and it is all right. Places they guarded, or kept orderly, We want the money for ourselves at home Instead of working. And this is all right. It’s hard to say who wanted it to happen, But now it’s been decided […]
High Windows by Philip Larkin
When I see a couple of kids And guess he’s fucking her and she’s Taking pills or wearing a diaphragm, I know this is paradise Everyone old has dreamed of all their lives– Bonds and gestures pushed to one side Like an outdated combine harvester, And everyone young going down the long slide To happiness, […]
He Hears That His Beloved Has Become Engaged by Philip Larkin
For C.G.B. When she came on, you couldn’t keep your seat; Fighting your way up through the orchestra, Tup-heavy bumpkin, you confused your feet, Fell in the drum; how we went ha ha ha! But once you gained her side and started waltzing We all began to cheer; the way she leant Her cheek on […]
Grief by Philip Larkin
If grief could burn out Like a sunken coal The heart would rest quiet The unrent soul Be as still as a veil But I have watched all night The fire grow silent The grey ash soft And I stir the stubborn flint The flames have left And the bereft Heart lies impotent End of […]